About That Song: Laura Hugo
About That Song #110
In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them.
Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives.
For our 110th edition, I was delighted to connect with Laura Hugo! Originally from Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, she found her way to Minnesota as a young adult, and over the last decade-plus has become one of the Twin Cities’ most beloved singer-songwriters. We talked about moments that influenced her artistic journey and the songs on her wonderful new EP.
Laura Hugo. Photo credit: Madalyn Rowell.
Sarah: Hi, Laura! What a joy it is to have any excuse to speak with you. After so many years of being an integral part of our gorgeous music scene, you are now releasing your debut EP, Where We Go to Grieve. The album highlights your trademark combination of big heart, vulnerability, and catchy-as-all-get-out melodies, framed within layers of lush and playful production. On July 30th, you will be celebrating the release with a full band show at Icehouse in Minneapolis. In honor of this occasion, I’d love to learn a bit more about the songs that have made a difference in your musical journey.
Do you remember the song you heard that made you want to be a songwriter? Tell us about that song.
Laura: My mom and grandma used to sing “You Are My Sunshine” to me when I was little, and I would sing it with my cousins. It was my favorite thing in the world—I sang it when I was scared or sad, and it always made me feel better. I can’t think of a song off the top of my head that made me want to be a songwriter, but I’ve carried this one for the longest, and it has shown me over and over again how powerful a song can be. I sang it to my dad before he passed and to my best friend before he passed a year later. It’s healing, love, and safety to me (at least the first verse).
Sarah: Oh Laura, yes. What a perfect song to carry around as evidence that songs make a difference to a heart. They can make us happy when skies are gray … Once you began writing, did you feel like a writer immediately? It took me a few years of writing before I believed it—was there a song that gave you that “a-HA! I AM a songwriter!” moment? Tell us about that song.
Laura: I felt like an imposter when I was on a stage. In my space, it felt real and raw and powerful, but in front of people it felt not good enough. I constantly questioned myself, but I eventually just started sharing the songs that made me ugly cry when I was writing them. The gut-wrenchers that needed to get out of me. When people started expressing how much they could relate or how my music made them feel better or less alone, that’s when I felt like a writer.
I think that song is “Where We Go to Grieve.” I was stuck in a songwriting rut, so I sat down at my piano one day and said: “Today I am going to write a song.” I wasn’t allowed to feel embarrassed for trying, and I never had to show it to anyone. “Just finish it.” It took the pressure off, and I played it that night at open mic. It’s about finding or creating a space to feel the important feelings we were taught to ignore. For me, that’s writing songs. Sometimes it’s the only way I can sit through and process the feelings I want to push away.
Sarah: That song—the title track of your new EP—is such a stunner. I’m so glad you decided to sit down and write that song. In 2017, you released your debut single, “Not Even A Little Bit.” I remember at the time, a dear songwriter friend of mine (the kind of person not prone to exaggeration or undue praise) RAVED about you, and this song—so off I went to listen. Immediately, I understood his admiration. Can you tell us about that song?
Laura: I will love (and play) that song forever. It has brought SO much magic into my life despite the hurt it took to write it. Good old unrequited love is the theme here. I fell for my friend, but he didn’t love me “that way.” At the end of the day, he got a one-way ticket to NYC, and my heart felt broken. I know now that we were young and codependent, but it’s the realest feeling in the world at that age, and it sure hurts in a new kind of way. You feel like you’ll never find anyone else you can connect with and you wonder why it happened at all. But you let go, and the world doesn’t end.
Sarah: You do. We do. In romantic and platonic love; in dreams of so many kinds. Thank you for bringing that to song-life for our hearts and ears. “So I listen to the radio,” you sing on the chorus of the lead single “Radio” off of your new EP. A few months back, I heard this song ON the radio during my morning carpool, and I was so thankful that 1) we still have RADIO to lead us to songs we need to hear, and 2) that your voice started my morning. Can you tell us about THAT song?
Laura: I loved listening to the radio wherever I was. I used to record my own radio show on a cassette tape (via talkboy or whatever device I had) called “Laura’s Channel.”
Sarah: I would like to listen to Laura’s Channel, please! Can we make it a reality? I know stations …
Laura: I would record songs off the radio, make my own commercials, read stories from my favorite books, and I even wrote a theme song.
Sarah: Yes! Theme song is a must.
Laura: I emulated the radio because it helped me escape and feel like the world was big when everything felt small. It was how I heard songs for the first time and helped me practice my harmonies. Life is hard, and sometimes you don’t realize that the good and bad can exist at the same time. Overall, it’s about balance. The verses are about some pretty tough parts of my life, but the joy seeps through and takes over as it opens up into the chorus.
Laura Hugo. Photo credit: Madalyn Rowell.
Sarah: Good and bad co-exist so much of the time, and yet it’s a lesson I constantly need to relearn, I guess? I’m probably not alone there. And certainly, your song is a reminder that I am not. “I love you the most, and I wish I could see you grow old.” This line from the soulful closing track, “Tonight,” stayed with me long after listening. Can you tell us about that song?
Laura: “Tonight” is a hospital song. It’s about when it’s baseline bad news, but you’re holding on to the potential and loved ones are hovering daily, buzzing with hope and burdened with reminiscing. The roller coaster realization that it’s time to call people to come say goodbye.
Sarah: Laura, you (and your songs) are such a gift. Thank you for coming by to chat with me about that song. Do you have any upcoming Midwest shows you can tell us about?
Laura: My EP release show at Icehouse on July 30th! We will be playing the entire EP with my full band that played on the EP. Eldest Daughter is opening up with a solo set, and Jillian Rae will be following with a duo set (and debuting a new single!) right before we close out the night with some special guests. I can’t believe that after all these years it’s finally here, and I can’t wait to just exist with everyone!
Sarah: Reader, hopefully you’re catching this interview in real time and can still grab tickets! Laura—wishing you the best of luck. In all the ways!
Get your tickets to Laura Hugo’s EP release show at Icehouse in Minneapolis on July 30, also featuring Eldest Daughter, Jillian Rae and special guests!
Listen to “Radio”
Where We Go to Grieve EP Credits
Guitar/Vocals/Composer: Laura Marie Johnson
Guitar/Mixing Engineer/Producer: Kai Brewster
Guitar: Seth Duin
Keyboards: Frank Merchlewitz
Drums: Brett Bjornrud
Bass: Taylor James Donskey
Recording Engineer/Producer: Matt Patrick
(Assistant Engineer on “Tonight” and “Close Quarters”: Kenneth Zierman)
Mastering Engineer: Eric Martin
Strings on “Where We Go to Grieve”: Jillian Rae
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Morris. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Sarah Morris is a superfan of songs and the people who write them, and a believer that certain songs can change your life. A singer-songwriter / mama / bread maker / coffee drinker who recently released her fifth album of original material, she’s been known to joyfully sing with people in her Big Green Bathroom.
